Eternal lighting
by arissa1243
Summary: Haven isn't human. But for a while, she wished to be. Now,returning to her planet after living on Earth for several years, she returns to her former lover,along with a strange man that Haven was destined to meet. But danger awaits them all.
1. Meeting

I looked around me at the silent scenery, the iridescent snow that can blind you in a moment, mountains that seemed to go on forever. It's been years since I'd seen this beautiful homeland of mine. The only sound was the crunching of the snow beneath my boots as I walked an invisible path. A chilling breeze blew up and I shivered. I was almost to the meeting point. Then I would see him again.

I had left my homeland almost 8 years ago to travel the world. Not my world of course, I'd been around it several times in my life, what with the clan wars that took place constantly. No, I visited the human world. I live in a separate world, one full of what the humans would call mystical creatures. We were supposedly figments of some poor human's insanity. The only people of my world that can travel to the human world are those of us who closely resemble humans. Other than my cat ears and tail, I look human.

My reason for traveling to their world was that I was tired of my homeland. We had been at war for many years. I had wanted to fight, but I was too young and was told to stay at the village and look after the young and the elderly. So I left. If I couldn't fight, then there was no reason for me to stay there. When I had reached the human world, I was at the age of 16 and they gladly accepted me into their troops. It was difficult hiding my "other appendages", but I got along. When they finally released me after 5 years, I decided to just live like a normal human, get a job, and maybe settle down there. But there was someone back home that needed me. I hadn't known if they were alive or not but it made me decide to stay alone.

After 2 years of "normality" I received a letter. It didn't have a post mark and its script was very close to old English, so I knew it was from my world. It read:

_Dearest Haven,_

_We have returned victorious! The war has ended, and although_

_we have lost many, we have gained so much more. It would be my_

_greatest pleasure if you would return to me. How I have missed you_

_in all this bloodshed. If you do want to return to me after all this time, then I _

_would like to escort you home my self from a meeting point outside of our _

_village. I know that traveling between worlds is long, so meet me in one month_

_ at our old fort on the south side of the village. If you do not come, I understand. _

_But if you do, I will be waiting._

_Sincerely,_

_Pheonix_

After reading the letter, I began to pack. He had been right, the trip was long, but for him, I would make the commute. The next morning I woke at dawn and left for my world.

So here I was, only a about a mile from the point he had mentioned. I sighed, thinking about him. Doing so, my pace quickened. On my back I wore a long cloak that hid my glorious long bow along with the sheath containing my arrows. In my world, the dangers are very real. Humans could not even imagine the beasts that roamed the forests of this world.

I adjusted my corset and the blouse beneath it. On my right leg was a leather knife holder that I had buckled around my thigh and the same on my left. I was only a few steps away when I heard something. I padded quickly to the cover of a large tree. I reached for one of my knives when a large wolf-like creature jumped in front of me and slashed at me. I quickly jumped out of its way and ran.

I ran south so as to get it away from the village. I could sense it pursuing me, jumping through the trees. It was catching up to me quickly. As i ran, i reached for my bow and loaded it with an arrow. I couldn't hear it following me and slid to a stop, my legs spread apart in a stable position and my bow at the ready. I sniffed the air but the smell of my village was floating on the wind. I closed my eyes and relaxed all senses aside from my sense of hearing and sense of smell.

I heard a slight rustle of leaves a few clicks to my right and in the air. I turned my ear in that direction and waited for it again. When I did hear it, it was much closer and i opened my eyes. With all of the trees, i was blind to its position. I turned to where i had last heard it and waited. I heard another creek, took a deep breath, and took the shot.

I heard a slight yelp and it dropped to the ground, my arrow poised in its thigh. It stood on its hind legs and i finally got a look at it. It was 7 feet tall with thick brown hair from head to toe and was extremely muscular. It had the head of a large dog and glowing yellow eyes. It growled at me a deep throaty noise and leaned over slightly, tightening its muscles. A werewolf. It glared at me as it ripped out the arrow and threw it aside.

I didnt have time to load another arrow so i began to back up, slow at first, then more quickly. I slipped on the ice and fell on my behind, starting to breath heavily in fear. I left my bow where it lay and started to crawl backwards. It took a step toward me, then another, then another. It was so close now that i could feel the heat emanating off of it. Drool dripped from its mouth as it lunged at me with a growl.

Then I heard a boom of a gunshot. It went straight through the wolves head mid jump and it flew sideways from the force. It fell to its side and its wolf exterior degraded into a small boy with shaggy brown hair, his eyes wide open, even in death. I looked to wear the shot came from and saw a tall man, about 6'2" standing there, holding what looked to be a chrome gun. He had short, straight hair that was parted to the right. His eyes were a gorgeous emerald green. He was wearing a long white coat,much like a duster, and black gloves.

I couldn't help staring at him. He was one of the most beautiful men I'd ever seen. As he walked closer i noticed he had 7 wide rings holding tightly onto the fold of his left ear. His jacket was opened at his waste, exposing long legs. He stood in front of me and smiled. Then i realized that i had just allowed myself be saved by a man like some stupid little damsel in distress.

He reached his hand out and i smacked it away. I stood up quickly and ran over to my bow and loaded it just as quickly with an arrow and pointed it at him. He frowned for a moment the smiled again.

"Now little minx, it's not polite to shoot your savior," he said in an annoyingly alluring voice.

"I only shoot those I don't trust. Besides, I could have saved myself," I replied shakily.

He walked over to me and leaned in, his face only inches from mine. I could feel his soft breath on my face. He smiled at me sweetly and put his finger on the head of my arrow and lowered it slowly. His eyes were looking straight into mine and they were so compelling that i didnt resist the push.

"Come now, Minx, just thank me and let it be done," he purred.

I glared at him, his sarcasm snapping me back to normal. I started to raise my bow again when another voice rose behind him. A voice i knew very well. The owner of the voice stepped up next to the stranger and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Dimitri, don't play with her. She will shoot you."

"I was just trying to see if it would work on her is all," the one called Dimitri replied, stepping away from me.

My eyes widened and i ran to embrace the newcomer. I wrapped my arms tightly around his waist and he put his arms around my shoulders.

"Pheonix..."i whimpered into his jacket, his shoulder length wavy blond hair tickeling the top of my head. I pulled away and then stood on the tips of my toes and kissed his lips softly. I heard Dimirti walk away from us. I peeked at him and he was leaning against a tree, arms crossed over his chest. I closed my eyes and continued the kiss and a few seconds later, he pulled away and kissed my forehead.

"I'm glad you decided to come, Haven," he whispered lovingly. Then he turned and looked at the carcass of the naked dead boy a few feet away. He walked over to it and studied it. Dimitri soon crossed over and stood beside him.

"What a shame. He's so young. Was there much difference in this one than the others?" Pheonix inquired.

"This one was weaker than the others," he leaned over and pointed to a large gash in the boys side," the pack seemed to have deemed him unworthy. Looks like they removed him not long ago. Do you think he's a newborn?" Dimitri looked at Pheonix questioningly.

"Perhaps. If we find his mark,you can probably judge how young he is by looking at it's depth," Pheonix explained.

Dimitri kneeled on one knee and studied the boys arms and legs. Then he grabbed the boys hand, and on the palm was a small sort of design, very dark. It was a sort of tribal mark. Dimitri peered at it quizzically. "The boy is an elder. Almost to the point of pure blood. They can't just overcast a wolf of this position. This is very strange," Dimitri explained. He stood and backed away slightly.

Phoenix nodded," That is odd. We should consult with your leaders, they'll want to know about this. Should we discard of the body?"

Dimitri nodded and removed his glove, placing it in his pocket and stretched out his arm, looking as if he was reaching for something. The air around us suddenly became very clear and it started to swirl around Dimitri, causing his hair and jacket to blow in the soft gusts. Then i noticed it, the small thorn vines coursing slowly to his finger tips, plastered to his skin like it was part of it. Once it covered most of his exposed skin, a sword appeared and sat still in the air. Dimitri reached for it and held it familiarly in his hand. The sword was long and thin, the silver almost liquid. There were inscriptions along the sword but i couldn't read them. They were in Latin.

He walked closer to the boys carcass and arranged it into a more peaceful position, his body laying straight on his back and his eyes closed. Then, Dimitri plunged the sword into the boys chest. Rose vines spread over the boys body, simply sprouting out of the ground and covering him completely. Dimitri knelt beside the body and placed his hand over where the boys face was and whispered in a deep, forbidding voice," _May docebit vos in lucem aeternitatis_."

The body of vines glowed slightly,and started to sink into the earth. All that remained was a single black rose. I watched in silence and felt a tear slide down my cheek. This man was of a people that are less than few, even in this world. To have an active and young one such as him in my presence was a feeling above glorious. This man wasn't just a savior.

When he finished, he pulled his glove back on and turned to me, the sword having already dissolved into thin air. His eyes were still slightly aglow from what he'd just done. A moment before his face had been light and happy. Now it was covered in seriousness and he seemed to be very tired. He sighed as he waited.

"You're a guardian," I stated plainly. He nodded. The words he had said in Latin were quite clear to me and to everyone in this world. It was a chant that guardians said to the dead to lead them to the next world. The words he said, everyone hoped to receive someday.

_May docebit vos in lucem aeternitatis. _May the light guide you into eternity.


	2. The Problem

Guardians were something we all learned about in our child years. To not know of them is to live in absolute isolation. We had to learn of them so that we knew to treat them with absolute respect and to trust them with your life. They had to protect you. It was in their blood to feel responsible for others safety. There are different clans of Guardians, but each clan was small, maybe 5 men to each group.

There are always at least 1 or 2 guardians placed of the human planet to ensure the safety of our people. There is a special call you can do that will have the closest guardian immediately come to your aid but you could only use it in absolute emergencies. They were rare and it is very bad if one of them gets killed off because your favorite goat was stolen by a dragon. But all of that aside they aren't expendable.

There is only one clan that is shunned from most of society. The Thorn Clan, one of the most powerful clans there are. They have the power to control almost all things dark, and with this much power, they have been feared. Some stories say that some of the Guardians from this clan have gone insane from all the darkness in their hearts and bodies. It overwhelms them and they are just destroyed from the inside out, self mutilation being one of the processes that take place. Those from this clan who can control it and stay sane are said to be special. All of the Guardians are special.

The reason why they're so special is because supposedly they were handpicked by the Gods. They were said to be born with a mark on their back that said they were special and that they belonged to the Guardians. They are almost never born in the same family during the same era. To have two Guardians in a row is an extreme rarity and if it does happen, then your family is to be blessed and pampered for as long as the line continues.

I'd never met one of these beings in person but they were always said to be beautiful. The women almost like amazons and the men strong and brave. When they look into your eyes, you almost feel like weeping they're so beautiful. I can understand this when looking at Dimitri. He has the beauty and the power of the Gods.

I bowed to him deeply, my hand over my heart. I said to him, "I apologize for my rudeness before. I didn't know who you were."

I heard him walk over to me and tip my chin up so that I was looking him in the face. He replied in a deep and menacing voice, his eyes glowing in anger, "Don't you ever treat me like this again. I'm no prince. This isn't a gift, it is my curse."

He flicked my chin away, leaving a small scratch there and stormed off into the forest toward the village. I stared after him in confusion. I said quietly to Phoenix, "Why is he so angry? To not show respect to a guardian is a great indignity to them. I don't understand…."

He walked over to me and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. "I guess you could say that Dimitri is different from the others. I think you should ask him why yourself though," he kissed my forehead and smile, "now come on, let's get home."

I nodded and we started walking.

When we finally reached the village, I followed the familiar path to my former home. I opened the door and there was a nice warm roaring in the fireplace. I looked around the large living room, at its familiar stone walls and deep brown wooden floors. I sighed and smiled and walked down the long hallway and stood in front of the door to my room, my hand resting on the handle.

I opened the door and pushed inside. I turned around and looked at my room. The walls were still a dark purple with images of asteroids flying around at the top toward the roof. It was exactly the way I had left it, spotless. I hated spotless but I figured that it would be nice in case the shelter moved children in here during the war.

I walked over to the closet and began putting things away. When that was done I put my pillow on the bed and turned on the lamp that was beside it on the night table. I sat down and looked at the little pad left on the table. The notes of the people who wanted to know where I was. They probably thought they would eventually be sent, but they never were. I walked over to my writing desk and put them in a drawer.

I walked over to where I had left my boy and arrows and shoved them inside a small, hidden compartment in my closet, along with one of my knives. You can never be too careful. When that was done, I changed into a night dress that was dark purple with ruffles along the top. Underneath I put on workout shorts. I let down my long white hair and brushed it.

I sighed again and put the brush down and walked out into the living room and planted my behind on the couch in front of the fire. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I'd been sitting like that for a while when I felt soft lips pressed against mine. I kissed back, recognizing immediately the scent of Phoenix. He pulled away and walked around the couch and sat beside me and threw his arms over my shoulder and we sat there in happy silence.

Until the cook ran in, that is.

"Lady Haven. Oh beans, look at how you've grown!" The short, chubby old woman said.

"Mrs. Marian, please, I just got home, allow me to rest," I replied tiredly

"Oh hush and come into the kitchen. Lord Phoenix had me prepare you dinner while he fetched you," She snorted and bustled off into the kitchen and I giggled.

Phoenix shrugged and smiled at me, leaning over slightly to kiss my cheek," come; you know she'll only come back if you don't go. I'll wait here."

I got up and walked into the kitchen, opening the door slowly and cautiously. I peered inside and saw Marian running around from one side of the kitchen to the other with a happy expression on her face. Then something caught my attention. Straight across from me, with his back facing me, was Dimitri. His red hair was tied back into a small ponytail and he was wearing a long sleeved white shirt and jeans. He appeared to be wearing an apron and either chopping or stirring something in front of him.

Marian noticed me in the doorway and pulled me in with an impatient expression on her face. She pushed me over and sat me into a chair in front of the small table that sat in the kitchen with a flower vase with a single dandelion sitting in the center.

"Dimitri, be a dear and get the lady her food. I have to knead this for the bread," She asked politely.

He moved from where he was standing and walked over to another side of the room and picked up a plate and walked it over and sat in front of me, then went back to what he was doing. I looked down at the colorful assortment of foods and licked my lips and grabbed my fork, eating slowly. I watched the two of them for a while when Phoenix entered the room carrying his jacket.

"I must go for a bit. I should be able to return before the morning comes," He explained calmly. Dimitri turned and looked at him and began to take off his apron. Phoenix shook his head, "no, stay here and rest. You need it. Get something to eat. I can handle this." He winked at me and walked out. I heard the front door shut shortly after.

Dimitri stared at the door that Phoenix had just exited out of for a moment longer, and then went back to working. I wondered for a moment what was bothering him. His body had gone rigid in either anger or worry but I couldn't tell which. His face was both unreadable and facing away from me. The fact that something bothered him bothered me.

I started eating my food again and watched him. Then a telegram when off in the next room and Marian bustled to get her hands clean. She looked to Dimitri and said "Go ahead and get something to eat and take a break, this may take a while," the telegram stopped for a moment then started up all over again. She threw the rag she was holding into the sink and shuffled toward the door muttering, "Oh rats."

I smiled at her fumbling and continued eating. I heard a chair scratch across the linoleum and looked up to see Dimitri sitting across from me with a plate in front of him. He looked at me with a calculating expression for a moment, and then began to eat. His legs were crossed beneath the table which I saw as a sign of tension. He was as nervous about being alone as I was.

"Dimitri-," I began, but he held up his pointer to hush me. I frowned at him and then he spoke.

"I don't want to talk about it now. Dinner is supposed to be a time of peace where happy events in the day are discussed, not things such as that. It is a topical error at the dinner table. If you still feel like bothering with it after, then find me later."

He didn't look at me throughout that entire speech. I, on the other hand, was staring at him with a gaping mouth in total shock of how rude he was. Guardians were supposed to be kind. Not total ass holes.

He looked up to find me staring at him and smirked. He enthused," If you're going to stare at me, please do it without showing me your chewed up food."

I shut my mouth quickly and swallowed, glaring at my plate. This guy just had a way of pissing me off. I finished off the last of my food and walked over to the sink. I turned on the water and washed off the loose food scraps and then placed it down at the bottom of the sink, turning off the water. I turned quickly and bumped straight into Dimitri's chest. I tripped backwards a bit in surprise and held onto the sink. He was looking at me with pure enjoyment and chuckled. I huffed and shoved past him, heading to my room.

I opened my door and stomped into my room then slammed it behind me. I ran over to my bed and jumped on it, lying on my stomach. It was late now, about 9 pm and I was beginning to tire. But I had yet to take a shower and I needed one desperately. I got up and grabbed a towel, carrying it with me to the bathroom down the hall.

I knocked and no one answered, so I entered and started stripping. I stepped inside and turned on the water and just let it hit me as I thought. I thought about everything that I'd learned that day, I thought about Phoenix and returning home. But there was one thing that continued playing on my mind. Dimitri and his sudden snap at me. I didn't understand him. All I know is he's a bipolar jerk who needs to be nicer than he was at dinner. I wanted to slap him across the face with my spoon.

I felt my face creasing and softened it. I didn't need it to stick like that. I washed my hair and shaved then stepped out of the shower and dried off. I looked around and realized I didn't bring clean clothes with me. I wrapped the towel around me and peeked down the hall. I didn't see anyone, so I starting calling out "Marian! Marian!"

She didn't come so I ran down the hall dripping wet with my clothes in my arms. I shut my door quickly and put my clothes on the bed and walked to my dresser to get clean underwear when I heard someone chuckling as they passed my door. I grabbed one of my shoes quickly and threw it at the door. After it hit with a thud I heard him outright laughing, much farther from my door now.

I glared at my door for a moment then grabbed clean underwear and put it on, then put on a silk, powder pink night tank top and matching night pants. I sat on my bed and put my face in my hands and sighed. What was I going to do about this guy? I'll be damned if we just suddenly start getting along.

I lay down on my bed on top of the covers. I closed my eyes, hoping to just rest my eyes, and slipped into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
